(a) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a liquid crystal display and a manufacturing method thereof.
(b) Description of the Related Art
Liquid crystal displays are a widely used type of flat panel display device. Liquid crystal displays include two panels on which field generating electrodes, such as a pixel electrode and an opposing electrode, are formed. A liquid crystal layer is interposed between the two substrates.
In a liquid crystal display, an electric field is generated in the liquid crystal layer by applying voltage to the field generating electrodes. The electric field determines the orientations of the liquid crystal molecules of the liquid crystal layer, which controls the polarization of incident light, thereby displaying an image.
Vertically aligned mode liquid crystal displays are one type of liquid crystal display. In vertically aligned mode liquid crystal displays the long axis of the liquid crystal molecules is arranged to be perpendicular to the upper and lower panels in the state in which an electric field is not applied. Vertical aligned mode liquid crystal displays have received much attention because they have a high contrast ratio, and a large and wide reference viewing angle can be easily achieved.
To achieve a wide viewing angle, vertically aligned mode liquid crystal displays may include a plurality of domains in each pixel that have different alignment directions of the liquid crystal molecules.
In one method for forming the plurality of domains a cutout, such as a slit or the like, is formed in the field generating electrode. As a result of the cutout, the plurality of domains may be formed because the liquid crystal molecules are realigned at a fringe field which is formed between an edge of the cutout and the field generating electrode facing the edge.
To increase response speed of the liquid crystal molecules, an initial alignment method has been proposed that allows the liquid crystal molecule to have a pretilt, in which the liquid crystal molecules are slightly rotated with respect to the field generating electrode when the electric field is not applied. For example, a pretilt of the liquid crystal molecules in a predetermined direction may be achieved by adding a prepolymer material that can be polymerized by heat or light such as ultraviolet to the liquid crystal layer, applying an electric field to the liquid crystal layer, and irradiating the liquid crystal layer with light or heat to polymerize the prepolymer in the pretilt direction.
The above information disclosed in this Background section is only for enhancement of understanding of the background and therefore it may contain information that does not form the prior art that is already known to a person of ordinary skill in the art.